London (AFP)

Leicester proved he deserved a spot on the podium with a solid victory at Crystal Palace (2-0) Sunday in the 11th round of the Premier League, while Tottenham squandered a goal in injury time. at Everton (1-1).

On a score equal with Chelsea (23), Brendan Rodgers' men reap the benefits of their best defense (8 goals against 17) and their card in Southampton last week (9-0) to beat the Blues unlike of goal with +19 against +8, 2 points behind Manchester City (2nd) who will go to Liverpool next Sunday.

More importantly, Leicester is especially the hole on Arsenal, 5th to 6 points after giving up a win against Wolverhampton (1-1).

Ironically, the Foxes receive the Gunners at King Power Stadium next Saturday. In case of victory and simultaneous success of Chelsea at home against Crystal Palace, the Gunners would find themselves at least 9 points of the 4th and would see their hopes of playing in the Champions League next season very begin.

"The team plays well, but we do not get drunk and I'm not going to trap the players by putting any pressure on them," Rodgers said after the match.

"They understand that what we are trying to create here is something that can last," he added.

Sunday's performance against Crystal Palace - 10th with 15 points after the match, when he was 6th before the day - is not the most attractive delivered by the 2016 champions of England.

The blame lies largely with their hosts, who, although at home, proposed a rather unambitious game until the opening of the visitors' score by the Turkish international central defender Çaglar Söyüncü of the head (57th), on a magnificent corner midfielder James Maddison, two players who make a remarkable start to the season.

If they woke up afterwards, Leicester, which for several days has offered one of the most consistent and solid games in the championship, has never seemed to lose control of the game.

The Foxes even hit the nail by the inevitable Jamie Vardy, after an action straight out of the Rodgers blackboard (2-0, 88th).

An achievement that allows him to take the lead in the ranking scorers being the first to reach the symbolic mark of 10 goals this season and may revive the regrets of those who would like to see him called Thursday in the England team, to which he had given up after the World Cup.

- Serious injury for Gomes -

The other afternoon game, long sleepy, ended in passion and with 12 minutes of additional time because of the serious injury of the Portuguese midfielder Andre Gomes ten minutes from the end.

On a very late tackle His Son Heung-min, ruled out for this gesture, the middle foot crashed into the grass.

And, if the English director did not wish to show the end of the slowdown of his fall, the reaction of Son, out with the face in the hands, the coach of Everton Marco Silva on the verge of tears or Serge Aurier to pray on the ground, let it be guessed that it is probably very serious.

Before that, Tottenham, very hardworking, had exploited a pass completely missed by Alex Iwobi recovered by the Korean striker - positioned in the axis to compensate for the absence of Harry Kane, sick - who had launched Dele Alli for 'opener of a 16-meter low-level strike (0-1, 63).

The Spurs lost the game after the long interruption of the game and Everton rebelled equalizing on a beautiful goal from the head of Turk Cenk Tosun, on a remarkable volley center Lucas Digne (1-1, 90+ 7).

A draw that does not help anyone, Tottenham remaining in the second half of the rankings (11th with 13 points) while Everton stagnates to a little enviable 17th place, the last before the red zone, with 11 units.

© 2019 AFP